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Department of Airspace Control (DECEA)

Organisation Overview

The Department of Airspace Control (DECEA) is a governmental organisation, subordinate to the Brazilian Air Force, that gather human resources, equipment, systems and infrastructure, responsible for the air traffic control and airspace defence.

The organisation is in charge of a considerable portion of airspace, which exceeds Brazilian 8.5 million square kilometres of territory, reaching the Atlantic Ocean to make up 22 million square kilometres of airspace in its liability. In this way, makes available services such as Aeronautical Information System, Air Traffic Management, Aeronautical Telecommunication, Aeronautical Cartography, Aeronautical Meteorology, Flight Inspection and Search and Rescue.

In a daily basis, more than 12,000 employees carry out multiple activities distributed in 5 Area Control Centres (ACC), 42 Approach Controls (APP), 58 Air Traffic Control Towers(TWR), in addition to more than 900 Navaids.

DECEA has an integrated civilian and military purpose. Accordingly, its mission is to manage and control the air traffic as well as to guarantee the defence of the Brazilian airspace. Therefore, this integration has been conceived to support military and civil operations, resulting in a significant economy of means and resources.

The same communications, navigation and surveillance means are applied to provide air traffic control services and air defence, enabling the country to save resources and to serve both Air Force operational requirements - complying with the rules set by the Brazilian Airspace Defence Command - and the duties to ICAO, satisfying all the annexes referring to air traffic.

No. of Towers Operated:58No. of ACCs5No. of Employees:12 544Total number of ATCOs:3 512Total number of operational ATCOs:3 512